Heel protector or slug.



G. E. ROLLINS.

HEEL PROTECTOR 0R SLUG.

'APPLICATION FILED IAN. Is. IIIII.

' Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

aan sTATEs PATENT orion.

GEORGE E. ROLLINS, OF BROCKTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO ABRAMSYDEMAN, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

HEEI". PROTECTOR on sLUG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

Application filed January 8` 1914. Seriai No. 810,941.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. RoLLINs, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Brockton, county of Plymouth, and State ofMassachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Heel Protectors or Slugs,of which the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to heel protectors, or slugs, intended to bedriven into the tread surface of a heel to prevent rapid wearing away ofthe leather, rubber, canvas or other material of which the heel is made.My invention will be best understood by reference to the followingspecification, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing,showing one illustrative embodiment thereof, while its scope will bemore .particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view on an enlarged scale of a heel protector,or slug, embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the protector,

yor slug driven through the top-lift of a I heel;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the protector and top-lift, showing oneset of spurs clenched; A

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the protector and a portion of the heel,after the top-lift has been attached;

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan of the heel having a plurality of the protectorsembedded therein,

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan of another heel having a plurality of theprotectors embedded therein; and

Fig.` 7 is a sectional view on line 7-7 of Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, and to the embodiment of my invention which Ihave there shown for illustrative purposes, 6 is a base, preferablyprovided with an aperture 7. The base may have one or more flanges,preferably two designated by the numerals 8 and 9, projecting from oneface thereof, and either or both ofthese flanges may be provided withone or more prongs. In the specific device selected for illustration,the .inner iange 8 is provided with a plurality of prongs 10, hereinfour in number, while the outer flange 9 is similarly provided with aplurality of prongs 11, herein four in number.. The prongs arepreferably V-shaped in form, and are preferably provided with sharppoints, as shown. It will be understood, however, that the prongs may bewidely varied as to their number and form, Within the scope ofnnyinvention. If

desired, the prongs 11, or any other part of the anges and their prongsdiverge from i the base, and `where the flanges are annular,

as in the present instance, the surfaces -of the iian es are ofgenerally frusto-conical form. he prongs may be otherwise proportionedas to their relative lengths, but herein the inner prongs 10 arerelatively shorter than the outer prongs l1.

While the protector may be made of any other suitable material, andshaped into the described form in any other suitable manner, thespecific protector is made of sheet metal, as' for example sheet steel,stamped or pressed into the desired form. If desired, the protector maybe simply driven into the finished heel, but I prefer to drive itthrough the top-lift 13, as shown in Fig. 2, and afterward attach thetop-lift to the body 14 of the heel. tector into the top-lift, theprongs cut their way into the leather, and prepare the latter -inclosedthereby becomes highly compressed,

and rendered so dense as to materially assist In driving the pro-4 inholding the protector, as well as to pre- I' I.

Asent within the aperture 7 a Wearing surface of great durability. Afterthe protector has been driven into the top-lift, the prongs I 10 arepreferably clenched, as shown in Fig.

3, by means of a suitable tool. The top-lift is then attached to theheel body, by driving the spurs ll thereinto. Usual heel nails l5project above the surface of the heel body, entering the top-lift asseen in F ig. 4, and aid in securing the top-lift to the body.

@ne or more of the heel protectors may be embedded in a heel in anydesired position, or positions, according to the tendenc to wear theheel at one point more than at another. ln Fig. 5, l have shown, forpurposes of exempliication, a. large protector in the heel at the rearportion, and two smaller ones adjacent the forward corners of the heel.Each protector, when embedded in the heel, not only prevents rapidwearing away of the leather, rubber, canvas or other material, but alsotends to prevent slipping of the heel upon the pavement.

ln Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown the protector as applied to a rubberheel, and in this case, although the protector itself is not essentiallychanged, its inode of application to the heel is somewhat diiferent fromits application to leather heels. The protector is iirst driven throughone or more thicknesses of canvas, or other suitable fabric, 16 cementedor otherwise appropriately fastened together, and 'the portion of thefabric encircled by the protector is preferably pressed outward beyondthe face of the protector, to present a yielding, non slipping treadsurface. if desired, the layers of canvas or other fabric may bestitched together within the circle of the protector, by one or moresuitably arranged .rows of stitches 1T. These stitches will serve tofirmly unite the several layers of fabric, and hold theni together asthey gradually wear away.

After the protector has been driven through the layer or layers offabric, the inner set of prongs l0 may be, and preferably are, then bentlaterally, as shown in F ig. Y. The protector and layer or layers offabric, 'when thus united, are next placed in a suitable inold, andrubber, or other appropriate composition, is then molded around andabout the protector and fabric, thus embedding both, except that theface of the protector and the portion of the fabric which it encirclesare exposed and substantially flush with the tread surface of the heel,although as before stated, the portion of the fabric which is encircledby the protector preferably extends somewhat beyond the general treadsurface of the heel, as shown in `Fig. 7. This provides a means forpreventing the rapid wearing away of the rear edge of the rubber heel,while at the same time forming a means effectually to prevent the heelfrom slipping on the pavement. Moreover, the mode of fasten ing theprotector .in the rubber heel is such that it is impossible te pull theprotector out .'vitlioutpractically destroying the heel. reite ibly, theprongs 9 extend through the upper face of the rubber heel enough to bedriven into the leather heel of the shoe, inapplying the rubber heelthereto.

While l have herein shown and described one speciiic en'ibodiinent of myinvention for illustrative purposes` and have disclosed and discussed indetail the construction and arrangement incidental to one specificapplication thereof, it is to be understood that the ii ventier. islimited neither to the mere details or relativo arrangement of parts norto its pecilic embodiment herein shown, but that extensive deviationsfrom the illustrated forni or embodiment of the invention may be madewithout departing from the principles thereof,

Having thus described my invention, what claim and desire by LettersPatent to secure is l. in combination, a foot wear 'tread having anexterior layer and a protector therefor including a base having prongsclenched in said exterior layer and other prongs penetrating said layerand entering the body of the tread therebeneath.

' A protector comprising a base and a )air of flanges thereon formingbetween hem a channel and penetrative members Lining with and formingcontinuations of aid flanges whereby said protector may be riven into atread up tosaid base.

3. in combination, a. foot wear tread having an outer surface ofresilient material, a fibrous member havin@` a portion presented at thewearing surface and a member engaging the lateral portions of saidlibrous member and including a frame-like body having provision forfastening the same eX- tending laterally in engagement with the tread.

d. in combination, a foot wear tread having an outer surface ofresilient material, a librous member having a portion presented at thewearing surface and a member including a frame-like body engaging thelateral portions of said iibrous member and having prongs clenchedthereon and other prongs extending into said tread.

5. In combination, a foot wear tread having an outer surface ofresilient material, a fibrous member having a portion presented at thewearing surface and a member engaging the lateral portions of saidfibrous member and including a frame-like body having provision forfastening the same extending laterally in engagement with the tread,said. fibrous member having fibers therein bridging across said frameandqheld by opposite parts thereof.

6. In combination, a foot-Wear tread havan outer surface of resilientmaterial, a fibrous member having a portion presented oies e to thewearing surface and a traine-like member engaging the lateral portionsof the fibrous member, said fibrous member having iibers thereinbridging said frame, said frame including a plane portion disposedsubstantially parallel to the wearing surface and prongs extendingtherefrom into the tread.

7. In combination, a foot wear tread having an outer surface ofresilient material, a fibrous member having a portion presented at thewearing surface and a member engaging the lateral portions of said brousmember and including a frame-like body presenting an outwardly iiaringwall for engagement with the tread.

8. In combination, a foot wear tread having an outer surface ofresilient material, a fibrous member having a portion presented to thewearing surface and a retaining member for said fibrous member engagingthe same along lines oblique to the tread surface .whereby to retain thesame against withdrawal and penetrative fastening means for saidretaining member entering the body of the tread.

9. In combination, a resilient foot-wear tread member having a treadsurface, a wear-resisting member embedded in said tread member andhaving a portion presented at the tread surface and another portioncontacting with said tread member, and anchor means laterallyinterlocking with said members.

10. In combination, a resilient foot-wear tread member having a treadsurface, a wear-resisting member embedded in said tread member andhaving a portion presented at the tread surface and another portioncontacting with said tread member, and anchor means embracing a portionof said wear-resisting member and laterally interlocking .with saidmembers.

11. In combination, a resilient foot-wear tread member having a treadsurface, a wear-resisting member embedded in said tread member andhaving a portion presented at the tread surface and another portioncontacting with said tread member, and anchoring means having portionsinterposed between and directly engaging said tread member and saidwear-resisting member and interlocked with both, thereby to lock saidwear-resisting member to said anchoring means and to lock said anchoringmeans to said tread member.

12. In combination, a resilient foot-Wear tread member having a treadsurface, a wear-resisting member embedded in said tread member andhaving a portion presented at the tread surface and another portioncontacting with said tread member, and an annular member inclosing aportion of said .wear-resisting member and having portions interlockingwith said tread member and said wear-resisting member.

13. In combination, a resilient foot-wear tread member having a treadsurface, a wear-resisting member having a portion presented at the treadsurface, and an anchor member inclosing a portion of said Wearresistingmember and provided with one or more openings into which a portion orportions of said tread member extend into contact with saidwear-resisting member.

14. In combination, a resilient foot-.wear tread member having a treadsurface, a wear-resisting member having a portion presented at the treadsurface, and an anchor member inclosing a portion of said wear-resistingmember and notched to receive a portion or portions of said treadmember.

15. In combination, a resilient foot-wear tread member having a treadsurface, a wear-resisting member having a portion presented at the treadsurface, and an annular member inclosing a portion of said wearresistingmember and provided with one or more openings into which a portion ofportions of said tread member extend.

16. In combination, a resilient foot-wear tread member having a treadsurface, a Wear-resisting member having a portion presented at the treadsurface, and anchor means having portions interlocked with one of saidmembers and having a spur extending into said tread member to assist inholding said wear-resisting member in said tread member.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE E. ROLLINS.

Witnesses:

ROBERT I-I. KAMMLER, CLARA L. STUART.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe ,Commssioner of atents, Washington, D. G.

